This invention relates to a method and apparatus for storing information corresponding to personal identification features on a portable storage medium and reading the information from the portable storage medium to verify a person's identity.
The use of credit cards and charge plates requires a means of positive identification which will prevent counterfeiting. In addition, the necessity of identifying persons for access to secured areas requires positive identification to prevent impersonation. Personal recognition is the ideal method of identification, but it is impractical except in a few situations.
An automatic personal verifier system described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,113, comprises a coherent optical matched-filter corrolator. It computes the two dimensional cross corrolation function between the present fingerprint and a fingerprint previously encoded on an identification card. If these fingerprints match, a bright spot of light is generated at the output of the optical system. If the prints fail to match, a random low-intensity light pattern is generated. Whenever the corrolated peak exceeds a preset threshold, a green light is turned on and a relay is closed. The relay closure is typically used to energize a door-lock solenoid. Each identification card in the automatic personal verifier system contains a small photographic film chip. The image recorded on this film chip is a coded version of the bearer's fingerprint. Any person seeking entrance to a facility protected by this automatic personal verifier system must deposit a fresh oil fingerprint on a special window. As previously mentioned, the system corrolates the fresh fingerprint with the stored fingerprint. If they match a green light is energized and the door is unlatched.
Although the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,781,113 provides some level of security, each person using the system and having the associated apparatus including the key to descramble the information fixed on the identification card, can read any confidential information stored on every identification card.